physics

James W. Mar

James W. Mar is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand James W. Mar rather than just read about it. In short: James Wah Mar (March 10, 1920 – March 4, 2017) was an American aeronautics and astronautics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who served as the 17th Chief Scientist of the United States Air Force. Of Chinese-American heritage, he was the first person of color to serve in this position.

Key takeaways

James W. Mar belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect James W. Mar to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of James W. Mar from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

James Wah Mar (March 10, 1920 – March 4, 2017) was an American aeronautics and astronautics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who served as the 17th Chief Scientist of the United States Air Force. Of Chinese-American heritage, he was the first person of color to serve in this position.

Early life Mar was born on March 10, 1920, to Fook Wah Mar and Mabel Chin Mar of Oakland, California. He moved to Seattle, Washington with his family at an early age and attended Garfield High School before enrolling at the University of Washington in 1938. However, he dropped out and applied to MIT, transferring in as a sophomore. He received his Bachelor of Science from MIT in Civil Engineering in 1941 and began working for Curtiss-Wright as an aeronautical engineer. At Curtiss-Wright, he worked on the planes such as the P-40 Kittyhawk, Curtiss C-46 Commando, and the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver. From 1944 to 1946, Mar served in the United States Navy and was trained in radar maintenance; however, the war ended before he was able to see any combat. In February 1946, Mar was discharged from the Navy and he returned to MIT, where he earned a master's degree in civil engineering in 1947 and a PhD in 1949.

Career Mar joined the faculty of MIT's Aeronautics Department after completing his doctorate. His research focused on the disciplines of structures, aeroelasticity, and materials. In 1970, Mar took leave from MIT to become Chief Scientist of the United States Air Force. During his time as chief scientist, Mar was involved in helping the Air Force understand the structural problems facing aircraft, such as the B-1, F-111, and C-5. After serving as chief scientist, he resumed his work at MIT, becoming the Jerome C. Hunsaker Professor of Aerospace Education and the head of the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics from 1981 to 1983. He retired in 1990.

Honours Mar was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1981 for "Leadership in research and education in aerospace structures and composite materials, and for service to his country". For his work in the United States Air Force, he was twice awarded the Department of the Air Force Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with James W. Mar

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what James W. Mar claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to James W. Mar before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about James W. Mar ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of James W. Mar

In research: James W. Mar appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses James W. Mar in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: James W. Mar is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1920 births, 2017 deaths, Academics from Oakland, California, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for James W. Mar outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study James W. Mar in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what James W. Mar means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain James W. Mar out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is James W. Mar in simple terms?

Why does James W. Mar matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study James W. Mar?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on James W. Mar.